An Interview With David Leichner

Don’t let anyone influence you negatively on what you want. Do the work, prove them wrong, and make your own opportunity.

With the shortage of labor, companies are now looking at how robots can replace some of the lost labor force. See here for example. The truth is that this is not really a novel idea, as companies like Amazon have been using robots for a while now. What can we expect to see in the robotics industry over the next few years? How will robots be used? What kinds of robots are being produced? To what extent can robots help address the shortage of labor? Which jobs can robots replace, and which jobs need humans? In our series called “The Future Of Robotics Over The Next Few Years” we are talking to leaders of Robotics companies, AI companies, and Hi-Tech Manufacturing companies who can address these questions and share insights from their experience. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Richard Margolin.

Richard Margolin is the co-founder and CEO of RoboKind. Over the past 13 years, he has developed some of the world’s most recognizable, facially-expressive and socially-interactive robots. An accomplished researcher, engineer, public speaker, and executive, Richard’s mission is to make a positive impact on the world by merging technology and education making learning exciting, accessible, and equitable for everyone.

Richard began his wide-ranging entrepreneurial career at 13 with Duct Tape Things, a duct tape apparel business. At the same time, he was beginning his research and development career on the human genome project.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started in robotics?

Richard: I was the kid that took everything apart. I got into hardware and computer building when I was 8 years old. It helped me understand how easy and interesting hardware could be. At 13, I was working in a research lab, doing genetics during the human genome project, but the things I really liked the most were related to neural network development, 3D scanning and printing, and helping create new sensors and equipment to make our jobs easier. When I was 15, I moved to a nano-materials lab where I found a passion for system and process design over and above chemistry.

I had my first experience building robots in college during maze navigation competitions. Robots combined everything I loved — problem solving, building, sensor integration, and so much more. I was studying neuroscience at the time and focusing on language development. When I got the opportunity to join my first robotics company at 20, we were building conversational humanoids. It was like everything I had done, studied, and been curious about came together.

From that point, all I wanted to do was build robots with faces and that is what I have been fortunate enough to do for the last 16 years.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Richard: I was once featured in Men’s Health with Nick Offerman. We never met, but I feel pretty cool even having my name next to his.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Richard: “Happiness is just not being neurotically bothered by the things around you.”

A few years ago, I took up Origami. I’ve found it to bring me both happiness and while also providing a much-needed brain break. For someone whose job requires the brainpower of an engineer and the drive and business strategy of an entrepreneur, stress relief isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now?

Richard: We are beginning to plan for our next-generation, facially-expressive humanoid. Similar to our existing R25 model, it will primarily be used in classrooms and therapy centers. Our robots need to be durable enough to survive the use of young children for several years, but safe for them to touch, work closely with, move, speak, sense the environment, and connect to cloud services. In addition, the individuals who benefit from our program often have special needs including autism and varying learning disabilities.

Creating sustainable, lasting technology for neurodiverse individuals presents incredibly interesting challenges. It’s pushed us to create new and unique designs, new uses for existing sensors, and other technologies to help the autistic population. All the while, we are creating a new future for the people we will serve with these robots.

How do you think this might change the world?

Richard: RoboKind robots are already changing the world by helping autistic individuals learn and generalize social, emotional, behavioral, and situational skills in ways other human-based therapies cannot. Research from UT Dallas Collier Center shows students on the spectrum engage with our robots 87.5% of the time versus 2–3% of the time with a human therapist alone. It has nothing to do with the quality, caring or even skill of people serving these kids. These robots are an easier starting point for learning social skills. They are consistent, non-judgmental, and more patient than any human could ever be. When a student needs to run the same lesson more than 500 times over the course of years to acquire a skill, the robot has no problem with that. I know I couldn’t do it.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

Richard: I am an advocate for pushing the limits of technology, but I also believe we need to involve more ethicists and philosophers in the early stages, or before the existence of these technologies. We need to make sure we use robots, AI, AR, and VR to connect with people and not to become further isolated. These technologies can be used to enhance and supplement people without replacing them. At RoboKind, we focus on technologies to help people in ways that other people can’t.

What are the three things that most excite you about the robotics industry? Why?

Richard: Robotics as a field of study is getting more and more accessible for anyone to get into. Which subsequently accelerates the development of the field resulting in the following:

· Lower cost of development

· Easier access to components at low volume

· New and exciting sensors

What are the three things that concern you about the robotics industry? Why?

Richard: The pandemic has caused a huge supply chain issue causing global shipping delays and chip shortages which impact the ability to secure parts needed to manufacture robots. This is presenting new challenges and resulting in creative solutions from engineers.

Robotics is truly a cross-discipline field of study which requires a deep understanding of computer science, electronics, and mechanics. This can sound daunting to students wanting to pursue a career in robotics. The best thing to do is look for a school that specifically has a robotics engineering program tying all areas of study together.

When teachers first see our technology, they tend to think our robots are going to replace them. We’re trying to do the exact opposite. We’re trying to use robotic technology to make a teacher’s job easier, to create personalized instruction, and save them time tracking data. Our mission at RoboKind is to use robots to bring people closer together. Robots will never replace the need for human teachers.

As you know, there is an ongoing debate between prominent scientists, (personified as a debate between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg,) about whether advanced AI has the potential to pose a danger to humanity in the future. What is your position about this?

Richard: I believe General AI or AGI will be a net positive to humanity. I see it enhancing humanity in ways we cannot conceive. As we develop the technologies to create these AIs and new ways to interface with them we will transform human capability, and enable new ways to create, connect, and experience life as we know it.

I have had the benefit of creating robots for organizations focused on enabling people to offload themselves into machines. In Charles Stross’ Accelerando, a SciFi novel, the main character decides to spend a few years experiencing the world as a sentient flock of pigeons. Strange concept, but very interesting. Similarly, a classic philosophical thought experiment, Thomas Nagel’s “What it is like to be a bat?” outlines the idea we can never truly know what it would be like to be a bat because they sense the world differently, and have different brain structures, etc. The future of AI has the potential to whittle away at those barriers and get us closer to imagining of these types of experiences. We don’t know how this will change our capabilities and the ways we think and approach the world, but I am excited about this future.

My expertise is in product security, so I’m particularly interested in this question. In today’s environment, hackers break into the software running the robotics, for ransomware, to damage brands, or for other malicious purposes. Based on your experience, what should manufacturing companies do to uncover vulnerabilities in the development process to safeguard their robotics?

Richard: Ensure you work closely with your chip manufacturers to ensure you utilize built-in hardware encryption for the best protection and performance. Utilize as much logging as possible (within reason) around any type of access to any and all systems. Understand the rules and regulations of the country or jurisdictions you are manufacturing in. For a robot product, the software and systems utilized during manufacturing are all you need to have on the robot, if possible, wait until a robot is in your control or your customer’s control to update, install and enable the software and features which make the product what it is.

Given the cost and resources that it takes to develop robotics, how do you safeguard your intellectual property during development and also once the robot is deployed in industry?

Richard: We safeguard our technologies in a number of ways, including minimizing the software and features available on our robots until they are with our customers and licensed appropriately. We deploy our programs in schools and work diligently to maintain levels of data security above and beyond the requirements of the industry.

Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Robotics Industry?

1. You have to be really good at solving problems, and being okay with failing. You need the drive to find the root of the issue. You have to try new ideas and make rapid prototypes until you form your own solutions.

During RoboKind’s early years, we needed a system for animating the robots. We built an application from scratch since our robot technology was also new. We had the idea to use existing 3D animation software to drive the robots, something nobody else was doing at the time. We shared our respective specialties as animators and software engineers to problem-solve collaboratively. It is humbling to not be able to Google the answers to our questions. We are creating something completely new every day.

2. Have a strong understanding of software, electronics, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering. It seems like a lot, but understanding how these different fields of study interact is crucial for communicating between development and manufacturing teams.

I like to relate the different engineering fields to that of the human body. Software engineering is the brains. Electronics is the nervous system, (inputs and outputs for the brain). Mechanical engineering is the bones and structure. They have to all work together to create our bodies and help them properly function.

3. Design parts with manufacturing in mind. Everything you design will then be manufactured, assembled, and used in the real world, not a lab. I believe in fast prototyping to prove out ideas around mechanics, and electronics.

In college, I was working with a group to create a sock puppet robot to tell stories for a children’s event. The first design contained complex linkages, four bar mechanisms, and was made from material the servos couldn’t handle. It included 40 custom parts which needed to be printed, machined and welded to create the robot.

I simplified the design down to six bent sheet metal pieces. The robot was literally going to be covered by the sock puppet. No one would ever see the inside of the robot. All we really needed was a few servos stacked to make a snake like movement and something to drive the mouth on the end. When you understand how your design will be made and used, it changes your approach to design and testing.

4. Be Minimalistic and Cost Effective. Did I mention I ended up using simple springs and scrap metal we had lying around to complete the robot snake project? The cost to produce custom parts for any design comes with a price tag. I don’t recall the manufacturing cost of the snake robot, but scrap is cheap and sometimes free.

When I was 24, I was lucky enough to become the engineering director for a robotics company. When I was not designing and building robots, I took the time to learn about materials, manufacturing processes, and how to prototype with limited time and resources.

5. Find your specialty. Not all robots are created equally. In my case, I’ve been lucky enough to work in the realm of humanoid robots to help individuals on the autism spectrum. There are endless sub-fields and specializations one could make a career out of in the robotics industry like developing semiconductors, designing new forms of actuation, the list goes on — and the possibilities are infinite.

As you know, there are not that many women in this industry. Can you advise what is needed to engage more women in the robotics industry?

Richard: I asked the talented women on our team for help with this one. Here’s what they said…

· Don’t let anyone influence you negatively on what you want. Do the work, prove them wrong, and make your own opportunity.

· Be confident in your abilities and don’t wait until you are a true expert to step forward for leadership opportunities at every level.

· Be willing to fake it until you make it. Don’t worry, you’ll learn along the way.

· Find mentors and peers to help you. No one is alone. Find the people who can support you as you discover your own path.

· Finally, my cousin, a female AstroPhysics PhD candidate, emphasized the bridge programs who are willing to take high school or undergraduate students that “don’t have the typical background” can help women who are interested but worry that they are starting too late getting into a STEM field.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Richard: Arguably, the broad acceptance of neurodiverse individuals is a movement currently happening. For years, the neurodiverse population’s talents have been hindered by lack of accommodations. At RoboKind, we employ two autistic individuals who are incredibly talented, and essential to our team and do the development of our robots and curriculum. Don’t let your pre-conditioned ideas of neurodiversity and autism hinder your future. The world is changing for the better, and I’m happy to be part of a team where everyone can feel accepted, challenged, and supported for being their true selves.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Richard: I try to stay active on all the social channels, but i’ve been really gravitating towards LinkedIn lately, and Twitter. Follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Check out the RoboKind website here.

Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is the Chairman of the Friends of Israel and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.

Reposted from: https://medium.com/authority-magazine/richard-margolin-of-robokind-on-the-future-of-robotics-over-the-next-few-years-24a42ab79c4c